A grieving elementary student from Batangas helped the Philippine team capture 39 medals, trophies, and merit awards in an international mathematics contest held last week in South Korea.
Albriz Moore Bagsic of Lilyrose School in Tanauan City decided to compete to fulfill the wish of his father, who was killed in an ambush last month. The 11-year-old Bagsic?s dad Estratuto, a policeman, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen in Batangas.
Despite Bagsic?s personal tragedy, the Philippine delegates won two gold, four silver, and eight bronze medals, and 12 merit awards in the individual contest of the 2014 Korea International Mathematics Competition (KIMC), held in Daejeon, South Korea, from July 21 to 26.
They also bagged three champion, one first runner-up, and nine second runner-up trophies in the team and group contests.
“I would say that the questions this year were difficult. Congratulations to our contestants for their new feat,” said Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines, who led the Philippine delegation.
Bagging gold medals are Albert John Patupat of Holy Rosary College and Clyde Wesley Ang of Chiang Kai Shek College.
Silver medalists are Fedrick Lance Lim of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, Eion Nikolai Chua of MGC New Life Christian Academy, Jonathan Conrad Yu of Philippine Christian Gospel School and Shaquille Wyan Que of Grace Christian College.
The bronze medalists are Kelsey Lim Tiong Soon of Grace Christian College, Andrea Jaba of St. Jude Catholic School, David Alexander Amante of Canossa Academy-Lipa City, Juan Pablo Abola of Paref Southridge School, Kylee Wiona Sy of Pace Academy, Audrey Sy of St. Jude Catholic School, Miko Johnson Co of St. Stephen’s High School and Vince Jan Torres of Sta. Rosa Science & Technology High School.
Merit awardees are Bagsic, Hans Benedict Te of Bacolod Tay Tung High School, Gregory Charles Tiong of St. Jude Catholic School, Robert Gerard Diaz Uy of St. John Institute, Regina Beatrice Bonifacio of Mother Goose Special School System, Ma. Leibniz Charisse Parra of Saint Paul College-Pasig, Marjana Ysabella Montanez of Heneral Pio del Pilar Elementary School (Main), Alyssa Guevarra of Philippine Science High School-Main, Isabel Jocyn Villanueva of Paref Woodrose School and Naomi Anne King, Jinger Chong and Isabella Mae Tan, all of St. Jude Catholic School.
In the elementary team and group contests, RP Teams B and C composed of Abola, Lim, Uy, Yu, Bonifacio, King, Parra and Sy emerged as champions and second runners-up while RP Team A composed of Amante, Bagsic, Te and Tiong won first runner-up and second runner-up. Team D composed of Chua, Montanez and Sy won two second runner-up.
In high school, RP Team B composed of Ang, Jaba, Lim Tiong Soon and Patupat won as champion in the group contest and second runner-up in the team contest.
RP Team C composed of Torres, Villanueva, Gene Go of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School and Janine Michelle Yu of Philippine Institute of Quezon City bagged second runner-up in the team contest and RP Team D composed of Chong, Que, Tan and Steven John Wang of UNO High School second second runner-up in the team and group contests.
Chua headed the Philippine delegation together with Rechilda Villame, Dr. Eduardo dela Cruz, Arvie Ubarro, Isidro Aguilar, Lee Shu Hwei, Joseph Wee, Robert Degolacion, Concesa Rapacon and Dr. Pedro Melchor Natividad, officer-in-charge of the Zamboanga Office of the Schools Division Superintendent.
A total of 576 elementary and high school students from 31 countries joined the contest. They are from Australia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherland, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
The Philippine delegation arrived on July 26 in Manila.
Last week, Filipino students bagged 15 awards in the 17th Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest in Hong Kong.
